Okay …. So every S class has been a step-down from the previous
But now this stepdown is technologically enabled
Within the previous generation of their line-up they shifted to making the S class only distinguished by the E class and C class by sizing, meaning they went with the 3 different sizes of the same sausage approach
Now here’s the real issue - once they set firm footing in the “we’re not a car company, we’re a luxury brand” they no longer cared to engineer excellence, they instead focused on the brand … illuminated emblems, new entry level models for people to buy the look
Then you end up with people buying a Mercedes for the status symbol rather than any aspect of the vehicle
People that don’t know the model disambiguations
People that couldn’t tell you the difference between a C class, an E class or an S class - if you’re one of these people AND you want a Mercedes, you’re a consumerist sheep and I hope you get hit in the head with the biggest Nike logo
If you don’t know what W124, W140, W220 refer to
If you don’t know the flagship model sedan, if you don’t know all Mercedes sedans are literally living off the derivative of the quality of engineering achieved for the W100- the original S class archetype
then you have no business fawning over a Mercedes, and if you are I hope you get yourself a dilapidated model of yesteryear and run your finances into the ground trying to maintain a money pit past it’s time of glory
I have a W220 (last design of Bruno Sacco, and the epitome of money pit car, the
The battery is dead
The battery is in the trunk
The trunk will not open without power
This car was not made to last into a second decade many of the materials of their flagship model have weathered and degraded, completely dilapidated
It is a planned obsolescence car - this cad is of no value to someone who is getting it a decade after its prime
The W100 (The 600) was a car on hydropneumatic suspension, hydraulic windows … a tank that could survive a nuclear blast and a literal Rolls Royce competitor, the next flagship model that descended from it was a W124 (SEL) was toned down from the high mark of Rolls Royce competitor status, but still a car with a bulletproof engine that was meant to stand the test of time. Many of them still on the road
Then the W140 began to set in the sensor actuated trend - this means mechanical engineering takes a backseat to technological engineering, it means mechanical engineering is mitigated by technological engineering. Your transmission is in perfect working mechanical condition … but you’d never know that because that critical part of your vehicle’s drivetrain is actuated by a sensor that has a 15-20 year shelf life, in best conditions
Then the millennial W220 came in and sealed the deal. The car is technologically encumbered by sensors that have a shelf life that pales in comparison to the mechanical aspects
This is the definitive post of this thread. I’ve been studying this since I was 6 years old
If you like Mercedes. Get yourself a classic find a good mechanic and/or (preferably) develop an enthusiasm for automotive mechanics
If you want the newest model make sure you have your biggest Nike logo t-shirt and be the consumer that you were coded to be
like a chicken wing spot with mad different flavors. Who tf got time to cook/eat hennesey Or chocolate flavored fried chicken wings ?
this is so true. I was considering a Benz in 2022 and I just became overwhelmed with all the variations of each model.
